Feeding an infant is one of the hardest part about raising a baby and it begins before you ever give birth. Do you buy bottles or a pump? Or both? Probably both. What kind of bottles? How many bottles? There’s different size nipples? Are you sure? Now you have to decide how or what to feed them. Are you going to try and breast feed? Are you exclusively pumping? Are you feeding formula? Which formula are you planning on using? These are just the questions you have to answer before your baby is even born.
Great news! (Just kidding it’s not great news)…whatever you decide I can almost guarantee it will be a struggle. You will doubt your decisions. Your google search bar will look like this… tongue ties, lip ties, gassy newborn, orange poop, watery poop? How much poop is normal? That one is fun because I shit you not (see what I did there) the answer is they can poop once every 4 days or 5-6 times a day. Or in Emelia’s case 8-11 times a day. All of it is apparently normal. It certainly won’t make you feel better and it won’t stop you from trying to find more answers. How do I know if the baby is eating enough? How much formula should a newborn eat? Is my newborn eating too much? The list goes on and on. And if your worries aren’t enough in comes the peanut gallery. Everyone has advice. Or that’s what they are calling it but it mostly just feels like 100 judgmental people.
“Well if you are worried they aren’t eating enough just switch them to formula.”
“You’re pumping? All the time? Why don’t you just…(insert advice here) put them to the boob, give them formula, etc.”
“Why aren’t you giving them breast milk? Did you try? Well did you try everything?”
“Oh you’re using that formula? That one always made my baby cranky. Try this formula instead.”
“Maybe you’re feeding them too much…too little…too often…not often enough…”
“You’re baby is never going to sleep well if you let them fall asleep nursing.”
IT…NEVER…ENDS!
And that is just the first 4-6 months. Wait until you start introducing solids. People can’t even agree on when to start, how to start, and what to feed them first. So let me tell you something I wish someone would have told me.
FED IS BEST. Period. Every single baby is different. Every feeding journey is different. You are doing the right thing no matter what bottle you chose, formula or breast milk, pumping or nursing, it’s all ok. You are ok. The only opinion that matters is yours and your babies. Doctors can’t even agree on things. It’s not because they aren’t good at their job it’s just because it is that different for everyone.
So…take a deep breath. Seriously. Take a breath. Now forgive yourself. Let it all go. All those regrets, and fears, the unanswered questions. Let them go. You are enough and you are doing what’s best for you and yours.
Mornings With Mama 